Machine for stringing seed-corn.



R. THOMPSON.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING SEED CORN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-'27, i916.

mfimm Patented Jan.1,1918.

ATTORNEY REINERT THOMPSON, F WAUTO MA, WISCONSIN.

MACHINE FOR STRINGLNG SEED-CORN.

Siaecification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application filed September 27, 1916. Serial No. 122,450.

To all whom it may} concern:

' Be it known that I, Rnmnn'r THOMPSON,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Wautoma, in the county of VVaushara and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Stringing Seed-Corn, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, relates to machines for 101stringing seed corn, and more particularly to' a machine whereby two pairs or sets of cords are interlaced alternately about ears of corn placed between the same.

In saving corn and similar. grain for seed 16 the simplest and most eflicient method now in use is to place the ears of corn between two strings which have been doubled and passed about the ears in alternate directions so as to secure the ears in spaced relation thus permitting free passage of air between the ears of corn so as to insure proper curing of the same. This corn is formed in strings which are, hung in any sultable place until planting tame. The cars of corn -are.now commonly secured in this manner manually. The main object of my invention is to providea machine ofsimple con-' struction and operation whereby one person can quickly and easily form these strings of 80 corn A further object is to'provide a machine having means for moving spaced.

pairs of strings or cords alternately in opposite directions so as to secure ears of corn,

in the manner above described. Further objects will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of the machine partly in section,

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same,

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of one of the holding bars and the cord tensioning device carried thereby.

A twine box 1 is supported by suitable legs 2 secured thereto at their upper ends and held in spaced relation at their lower ends by a cross bar 3. This box is adapted to contain four balls 4 of cord or twine.

binder twine being preferred. Two bars 5 are hingedly secured at their outer ends to the 11 per edge of box 1. as at 6. These bars are adapted to be folded downward over the top of the balls 4 of twine, and each bar is provided with two spaced apertures adapted 'frame 12. A

to receive the cord from the twine balls. Tl'llS cord is passed through eyes 7 secured in the top of the inner side of the box 1.

The cords 8 which are taken from the two outer balls 4 are passed through the two 60 inner eyes? which are in the same vertical plane as the bores 9 through the inner slidable rods 10. Thesev rods are slidable through openings through the bottom. 11 of the center, frame12 which'is of trough-like 65 construction and through the top bar 13 V of a U guide frame 14 secured at the center of air of outer rods 15 are slidably mounted through the bottom '11 of frame 12 closely adjacentmthe bars 10. The bars 15 are each provided withwa her-e16- through which are passed the'cords 8 taken from the two inner balls 4.

The lower end of each bar 10 is pivotally connected to the upper end ofa link 17 the lower end of which is pivotally securedto .the inner end of a treadle18' the outer end her end of a treadle 21 which is hingedto the supporting legs. 22 as at "23. Ashort cable 24 is passed over a pulley 25' suspended from the bottom 11 of center frame 12 between the bars 10. One end of this cable is secured to the treadle'18,'nearthe inner end thereof as at 26, and the-other end of the cable is secured to treadle21 at 27. By this arrangement,'when one 'treadle is depressed, the bars connected thereto-will be moved downward, and the other treadl'e will be simultaneously moved upwar(l1,s'c"as to raise the bars connected-'to the same.

On the side of the U frame-"14 remot from the twine box 1, an upwardly and outwardly inclined board 28 is secured in the center frame 12and extends the full width of the same. The upper end of this board is flush with the upper face of a horizontal board 29 which extends rearward in frame 12. This board 29 extends to the end of the frame. A table 30 is adapted to be secured to the end of center frame 12 adjacent the outer end of board 29 and is supported by legs 31 hingedly secured thereto. This table is adapted to form a continuation of the board 29 to receive the string of corn as it moves outwardly from the machine. In using my machine, the strings 8 and 8 are passed through the bores 9 and 16 of the 51o l 8; When the cords are'in this position a bars 10 and 15. The ends of the two adjacent strings and 8 ar e tied together thus .constltutlng 1n effect a single string which .is doubled back on'itself. An earof corn is then placed in, the arcuate recess 32 formed in the front Wall of the center frame in alinementQwith the inclined boardj'28.

- By depressing the treadle 18, the two inner rods 10 arejmoved downwardly thus pulling the cords 8 downward andilifting the cords second ear of cornis inserted between them being reversed relativelyto the first ear,

after which the treadle 21 is depressed so as to raise the cords 8 and lower the cords 8 This alternate raising and lowering ofcthe cords continues, an ear of corn being in serted after each operation, until 'a string of the desired len h has been formed When thishas been done the cords are cut and are tied together so as to suspend the string thus formed in any suitable place.

1 .'The free ends of the cords are then tied together as at first, a second string being formed. In the strings which are thus formedthebutts and tips of the ears are alternated so as to insure proper tension of i "the string, in the usualmanner.

Qball 4, located beneath the same. carries on its under-face a spring clip which 35 I To prevent the string from becoming looseyeach' of thebars 5 is provided with a plate 5 which is posi ioned in vertical alinement with the approximate center of the This plate presses lightly on the cord as .it is taken from the ball. This clip 5P' serves to maintainthe cord at tension at all times thus insuringproper operation of the machine.

Therev may be changes made in the construction and arrangement of the different parts of my invention .withggit departing from the field and. scope of the same, and I intend to include all such Variations, as fall within the appended claims, in this application in which a preferredform only of my inyenti'on is disclosed.

' -What I claim is:

1 A machine for stringing seed corn havin presence of I ing a frame, a pair of bars slidable therein,

a treadle hingedly secured atone end to the frame and pivotally connected at the other end to the lower ends of said bars, a second pair of bars slidable in the frame closely adjacent the first mentioned pair of bars, a treadle hingedly secured at one end to the frame and pivotally connected at the other end to the said second pair of bars,

and connections between the said treadles whereby when one treadle is depressed the other treadle is simultaneously raised.

2'. A machine for stringing seed corn having a frame, a pair of bars slidabletherein,

at one end to a treadle hingedly secure the frame -and pivotally connected at the other end. to the lower ends of -said bars, a second'pair of bars slidable in the frame and closely adjacent the first mentioned pair ofbars, a treadle hingedly secured atone end to' the frame and pivotally connected at the other end to the said second pair of bars, a pulley'secured to the upper portion of said frame mid-fway between the bars of the first mentioned, pair of bars, and a cable passed over said pulley and secured to the inner ends of said treadles.

3; A machine for stringing seed corn having a center frame of trough-like construction, a U-shaped guide frame secured at the approximate center of said center frame, an-

posite movement of said pairs of bars.

In testimony whereof I aflix my, signature two witnesses. REINERT THOMPSON.

' Witnesses:

- Gnonon P. SORENSEN,

H. ,J. EAGAN. 

